USA, IL: Noon Whistle Brewing eyeing second location in Naperville

Riding the wave of the craft beer craze, a Lombard brewery is outgrowing its space and wants to expand with a second location in Naperville, the Chicago Daily Herald reported on August 11.

Noon Whistle Brewing got an early green light from Naperville's liquor commission, which indicated on August 9 it is willing to lift a two-license cap on the city's Class P permit for breweries.

But before Noon Whistle officially seeks to raise the cap and gain approval from the city council, Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Steve Chirico said the brewery must identify where in Naperville it wants to set up shop.

"At the next level, they're going to say, 'OK, where is it going to go?'" Chirico said.

Noon Whistle co-founder Mike Condon, who created the business with his childhood friends Paul Kreiner and Jim Cagle, said he couldn't specify a location just yet. He said he's working with leasing agents about a couple of spaces, targeting something with about 30,000 square feet and 20-foot-tall ceilings.

The expansion to Naperville comes nearly four years after Noon Whistle opened in late 2014 at 800 E. Roosevelt Road, suite C, in Lombard.

"Every year, we've been doubling our production, and we've just simply outgrown our space," Condon said.

In Naperville, Noon Whistle hopes to open another production facility that also would host a tasting room. Under Naperville's Class P liquor license, the brewery would be able to sell a maximum of three 16-ounce beers for on-site consumption to each customer during a visit.

Noon Whistle originally focused on "session" beers, which have 5 percent or less alcohol by volume.

"We thought drinking is more the experience of being with your family and friends" than just getting drunk, Condo said.

The brewery also focuses on "hop-forward" beers and sours, but eventually expanded its portfolio to include some stronger brews in its "Big Beers" series, such as a Bernie Milk Stout with 10 percent alcohol by volume and a Muscles double IPA with 8.4 percent.

Condon said Noon Whistle works with five distributors to sell its beers and would be able to expand its reach throughout Illinois if it opens a second production facility in Naperville.

Pending location identification, Naperville's liquor decision-makers seemed excited about the possibility of Noon Whistle and its specialty brews coming to town.

"This industry is a very exciting industry that is developing," Chirico said about craft brewing, which already includes Solemn Oath Brewery and 2 Fools Cider in Naperville. "I'd love to see another location in Naperville, and I happen to love sour beer on top of it."

14 August, 2018